Wednesday, June 9, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

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United States

Alabama. June 4: Alabama agencies expand precautionary advisories in Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, due to oil from the BP oil well blow-out.

Oregon. June 4: The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce the closure of the Oregon Coast to recreational razor clam harvesting, from Coos Bay south to Bandon, due to elevated levels of domoic acid.

St. Petersburg, FL. June 7: NOAA modifies commercial and recreational fishing closure in the oil-affected portions of the Gulf of Mexico. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area; however, transit through the area is allowed.

Springfield, IL. June 8: The number of confirmed cases of Salmonella Hvittingfoss infections linked to Subway restaurants has risen to 60 people. Cases have been confirmed in 22 Illinois counties. The investigation into this outbreak is continuing.

Coos County, OR. June 9: An Oregon Public Health advisory has been issued due to higher-than-normal levels of bacteria in ocean waters at Bastendorff Beach in Coos County. Direct contact with the water should be avoided, and visitors should avoid wading in nearby creeks or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean.

Clatsop County, OR. June 9: A health advisory for contact with marine water at Tolovana State Park Beach in Clatsop County has been lifted.

Baton Rouge, LA. June 9: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has closed oyster harvesting Area 27 in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.

Canada

Ottawa, ON. June 8: Health Canada is warning Canadians that the unauthorized health products ”Vigofit“ and ”Once More,” which are promoted to enhance male sexual performance, have been seized by Health Canada inspectors from retail stores in Abbotsford and Surrey, British Columbia. These two products contain sildenafil, a prescription medication that may pose serious and potentially life-threatening health risks, particularly to people with heart problems.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Hong Kong. June 8: A 26-year-old woman has been arrested in a joint operation by the Police and the Department of Health (DH) as part of their follow-up investigation into the sale of a slimming product, S&S Super Slender, which was earlier found to contain undeclared western drug ingredients that may cause serious side effects. The investigation is continuing.

Kukuom, Ghana. June 8: Manhyia Number 4, a predominantly farming community near Sankore in Asunafo South District, has been hit by an outbreak of typhoid for the past one month. About six people have so far been affected by the disease, which residents attributed to lack of potable drinking water.

Navosa, Fiji. June 9: No new typhoid cases have been reported, and officials say that the outbreak is under control; nearly 2300 people living in the affected area were vaccinated as part of the containment effort.

Australia and New Zealand

Darwin, Australia. June 9: The Health Department has announced that high counts of the E. coli bacteria have been found at Darwin's Mindil, Vesteys and East Point beaches. The beaches will be closed to swimming and fishing until further notice.

New South Wales, Australia. June 9:Primo Pty Ltd, Australia’s largest manufacturer of smallgoods, has been fined $233,325 plus $200,000 costs for labelling imported pork products as Australian. The company pled guilty to importing Danish and Canadian pork products and labeling the processed pork products as "Product of Australia" and "Meat content 100% Australian."

Latin America and the Caribbean

Cuernavaca, Mexico. June 7: Two children have died of dehydration caused by diarrhea; there have been 33,000 cases of gastroenteritis reported so far this year.

Blumenau, Brazil. June 8: An Old Quarter nursery school has been closed for cleaning and disinfection after an outbreak of diarrhea – suspected to be due to rotavirus – among 16 children attending the school.